The Dublin Rodeo Heritage Museum Association held its 2022 Rodeo Heritage Museum benefit Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Dublin High School. The event featured a dinner, live and silent auction, a raffle and a showcase of rodeo honorees.
Honored at this year’s event was Ralph Collier, Fred Fletcher, Joe Fletcher, Tom Rogers and a special tribute to Johnny Duncan.
Honor films made by Dr. Vernon Williams were shown at the event with a copy presented to the honoree’s families in attendance at the event.
Honoree Ralph Collier lived from 1910-1983 and was fascinated with the life that cowboys lived.
In 1927 he participated in his first rodeo event and eventually settled on bronc riding as his specialty.
He was a legendary rodeo cowboy, participating in the Dublin Rodeo and many others throughout his career.
He was ranked in the top ten nationwide in the 1940s and by the end of his career had broken 37 bones in his body, including both arms and legs, on various occasions.
“But shoot, they always get well,” Collier was known to say.
Honorees Fred and Joe Fletcher who were longtime Dublin business leaders and on the Dublin Rodeo Board of Directors, contributed much to the community.
Fred spent his everyday life as a farmer and rancher growing up but served in combat in World War II gaining the Bronze Star for conspicuous bravery under fire.
As part of the business community in the 1940s, he supported the Dublin Rodeo through contributions.
“He loved and lived the western life,” Williams said in the video.
Fred also had a love for the Dublin Rodeo Grand Entry Parade and participated many times.
His brother Joe, who lived from 1917-1978, grew up with Fred and their other siblings and had a love of horses.
As a fighter pilot in World War II, heroism was in his blood and he eventually settled in Dublin after he became a businessman where the community became is life and focus.
“He enjoyed the camaraderie of the rodeo people as they flocked to the Dublin for the rodeo each year,” Williams said in the video. “He was an active rodeo museum board member.”
Honoree Tom Rogers, who lived from 1931-2022, an Erath County historian whose parents were photographers of Dublin history during the long-ago Dublin Rodeo days. He often attended the rodeos assisting his parents and played in the Dublin Rodeo band.
His daughter, Carolyn Rogers Beck wrote that to her knowledge, her dad never wanted to be a cowboy, but he grew up in Dublin and had a lifelong love of all things Erath County including the rodeo.
Carolyn summed her father’s life this way.
“My dad expressed his western heritage through his ethics. Whether he knew it or not he was a living example of Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code,” she wrote for the film. “He never took advantage of anyone. He showed us how to live with the honesty and integrity. He taught us to be respectful and honor people of all different races, religions – rich or poor. He showed us that not one of us is better than another and certainly not because of a situation we were born into. He taught us that a person’s value was in what they accomplished and that if we worked hard we could accomplish anything we wanted. He showed us the importance of giving back to the community.”
A tribute presentation was given to Johnny Duncan, a renowned country and western singer from Dublin who sang at the Dublin Rodeo.
Living from 1938-2006, Duncan without a doubt took the country road.
As a budding musician as part of a musical family, Duncan was taught basic chords from his mother and listened to her play in his uncle’s country band. He was proud of his talented cousins, including Eddie Seals, Jimmy Seals of Seals & Crofts, and country singer Dan Seals.
“The family often gathered at the Duncan farm for musicals and jam sessions,” Duncan’s daughter Lezlie Duncan said in her dad’s video.
Duncan’s career was comprised of many outstanding moments including being an opening act for Charlie Pride. He was most well-known for his hits in the mid-to-late 1970s.
In his career, he released 14 studio albums, including thirteen on Columbia Records. These albums produced more than 30 chart singles, with three of those reaching number one: “Thinkin’ of a Rendezvous”, “It Couldn’t Have Been Any Better”, and “She Can Put Her Shoes Under my Bed (Anytime)” from 1976, 1977, and 1978, respectively.
In the 1980s Duncan moved back to the Dublin farm from Nashville and his final alburn was released in 2004.
Duncan died of a heart attack on Aug. 14, 2006, at the age of 67.
Though fundraising totals were not available from the event, the benefit was well attended and showcased that the importance of Dublin Rodeo Heritage is still a valued part of the community today.